Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category

Just wanted to let you guys know I’m heading out of town for the Labor Day weekend. Sorry I haven’t gotten anything up for you this week, but it’s been a busy one. After being out of work last week to go to the fair every night – I’m playing that “catch up” game at the office. Hopefully, I’ll do better with this blog when I get back.

Hope you all got to stay up late last night and watch Randy Houser on David Letterman. When I saw Randy do his little concert at Winged Deer Park, it was just Randy, a guitar and a microphone. I liked that – It’s going to take me a little while to get used to seeing Randy, back-up singers, and a small army of other musicians. But he’s still great!

Randy said his CD will be released in November, so we cal all look forward to that. I really like that we have so many new ones coming out just before Christmas – stocking stuffers, for sure!

You guys take care, have a great weekend, drop me a line when you have time – and I’ll see you next week.Countrycountry5@hotmail.com

Since I haven’t put anything new up here for a few days, I thought I’d better let you all know where I’ve been, and what I’ve been up to.

One day last week, I went to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, and while I was there, got to attend a Tennessee Smokies baseball game. They have got a beautiful stadium, and here’s a shot of their scoreboard.

The mascots for the team made their rounds, and stopped by the box suite where we were sitting – here’s a picture of some of the fans with the mascots. And a photo of the field.

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I’ve also been busy with our annual Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society. This year, our county goal was $115,000 – we’re at $106,000 right now, but money is still coming in, and we are confident that we will make our goal. The county theme was “Don’t Give Cancer a Sporting Chance,” and our team chose football – here’s a picture of our team banner, and a few of our “players”.

I know a lot of you are familiar with Relay For Life, but those of you who aren’t really need to look into getting involved. It’s a fun event, and a great way to raise money for cancer research. Just call your local American Cancer Society office for the details.

And, to all my great friends in country music, we could use your help … if any of you in the entertainment field have a free date this year and would like to help us out with a benefit concert for our fund raiser, please contact me. We’d love to have you!

We’ve got Fairs right around the corner, and a lot of other country music news, so check back tomorrow for some of that. And, remember, Aug. 8, is the release date for Toby Keith’s new movie, “Beer For My Horses.” First one to see it – please drop me a line and let me know what you thought. I’m not sure if we’ll get it around here opening day or not, but I’m hoping!

I walked through a county courthouse squareOn a park bench, an old man was sittin’ there.I said, “Your old court house is kinda run down, He said, “Naw, it’ll do for our little town”. I said, “Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit, And that’s a ragged old flag you got hangin’ on it”.He said, “Have a seat”, and I sat down, “Is this the first time you’ve been to our little town”I said, “I think it is”He said “I don’t like to brag, but we’re kinda proud ofThat Ragged Old Flag“You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,When Washington took it across the Delaware.and It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it, writing “Say Can You See”It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jacksontugging at its seams.and It almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas flag,But she waved on though.She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville,And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,And the south wind blew hard onThat Ragged Old Flag“On Flanders Field in World War I,She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun,She turned blood red in World War IIShe hung limp, and low, a time or two,She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sentby her Uncle Sam.She waved from our ships upon the briny foamand now they’ve about quit wavin’ back here at homein her own good land here She’s been abused,She’s been burned, dishonored, denied an’ refused,And the government for which she standsHas been scandalized throughout out the land.And she’s getting thread bare, and she’s wearin’ thin,But she’s in good shape, for the shape she’s in.Cause she’s been through the fire beforeand i believe she can take a whole lot more.“So we raise her up every morningAnd we bring her down slow every night,We don’t let her touch the ground,And we fold her up right.On second thoughtI *do* like to bragCause I’m mighty proud ofThat Ragged Old Flag”

Happy Fourth of July to each of you. Enjoy your picnics, parades, and fireworks, and remember those who fought the wars, to keep us free.Countrycountry5@hotmail.com

I’m sure all of you remember me telling you about Daniel Lee Martin, (a recording artist with ChinMusic Records), and I hope you’ve taken the time to run over to his MySpace page and listen to a little of Daniel Lee’s music. He’s really great. I love his songs, “On My Way” and “It’s Already Been Said.” I’m sure you’ll love them, too.

Back when Daniel Lee opened for Joe Diffie (the end of May) at Freedom Hall in Johnson City, I made the comment that he was an entertainer who could put on a great show with nothing but a guitar and a microphone. And, he is. (More recently, I said that about Randy Houser, he is, too! Can you imagine Daniel Lee and Randy doing a show together?)

Tonight’s post, however, is not about Daniel Lee’s music. And it’s not about Randy Houser, it’s about something Daniel Lee did, that is so cool. He recently competed in the Field & Stream Celebrity Total Outdoorsman Challenge, presented by Mobil 1 at The 2008 CMA Fest.

Bryan White, Mark Wills, and several other country artists participated in the outdoor skills event. They competed in archery, air rifle, bait casting and fly casting. And the winner is …..

Yep, Daniel Lee won the competition, beating out two-time Total Outdoorsman Challenge Champion Paul Thompson. Daniel Lee will be featured in an upcoming issue of Field & Stream, and now holds the title as County Music’s reigning Total Outdoorsman. He also won a hunting trip with Keith Warren’s Hunting and Outdoor Adventures. The trip will be filmed for broadcast on Outcoor Channel and Versus networks during the fourth quarter of 2008, and will appear on “Backstage & Backroads with Daniel Lee Martin” on The Sportsman Channel.

I need to say Thanks to Kristina Martin, who took this picture of Daniel Lee with Anthony Licata (left) and John Davis of Field and Stream (right).

That’s all for now. You guys take care and have a great Friday! And remember, if you hear something good about someone great in the wonderful world of country music … stick it in an e-mail and let me know about it so we can share it with everybody!

I just wanted to let you all know that I will be going away for the Memorial Day holiday. I’m leaving Thursday afternoon and won’t be back until sometime Monday evening.

But while I’m gone, I hope you will go through the archives here at Country’s Chatter – just click on any of the blue dates on the little calendar (February, March, April and May) to check past blog posts. Or click on the category list and find the posts that way.

Don’t forget to use some of the links to go to the web sites of your favorite entertainers!

I’ll see you all when I get home. Drop me a line or two! Your the reason Country’s Chatter is here!

With the 43rd Academy of Country Music Awards about to hit television screens all over America, (and no ACM Party to go to tonight) – I thought it was a very good time to put a little new information on this blog. Sorry I’ve been away so long – but this is a really busy time of year for me. I’ll try to do better — honest.

First, I suppose all of you have heard that Shania Twain and her husband, Mutt Lang, have separated after 14 years of marriage. They have one six year old son, and homes in New Zealand and Switzerland.

Rodney Adkins has certainly come a long way since this photo was taken at a local Wal-Mart. Rodney was on tour promoting his second CD when this was taken. And now, 4 No. 1’s later – Rodney is one of this year’s Breakthrough Artists. He’s also nominated for Top Male Vocalist and album of the year for Going Through Helll. For all of his fans in the Northeast Tennessee area, Rodney will be at Fun Fest this year. He will be on stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at the Community Concert, presented by AGC Flatglass. Additional sponsors of the concert are 96.9 WXBQ and NewsChannel !!.

To all of you who have been enjoying the web site Buckymaina, I hate to have to tell you that the host of that site has announced that due to employment opportunities, she can no longer continue bringing us all those great photos and news about Bucky. Winnie, who I was fortunate enough to meet through this site, did say she will leave the information up as long as she is allowed. And also wanted everyone to know that you can still keep tabs on Bucky’s career by going to his site. Thanks, Winnie – for all the help and encouragement you’ve given to me with my first attempt at blogging!

Country Weekly magazine has a little piece this month about George Strait’s 1992 movie, Pure Country. Hard to believe it’s been that long! The movie is heading to Broadway – in the form of a play, of course. With songs like “Heartland” and ‘I Cross My Heart”, the original screenwriter Rex McGee, and veteran director Peter Masterson wrote the new musical’s spoken dialogue. I’ve never seen a Broadway play – maybe it’s time I think about it. George is nominated for Entertainer of the Year again tonight at the ACM awards.

I need to run and get a few things done before the awards show starts – grab your popcorn and your soft drink, and get ready! And when it’s over … you know what to do! Post a comment, or drop me a line, and let me know what you think. I just love hearing what you guys have to say about all of this!

It looks like all the financial details of the Carrie Underwood Concert at East Tennessee State University are now out in the open… and it looks as if the college spent more than a little too much to bring that show to their students and guests of the students. The total spent to bring Carrie, her instrumentalists, and the stage to Memorial Stadium on the ETSU campus was $534,000. (How many scholarships could have been awarded with that kind of money!)

When you realize that only 8,000 people attended the concert, the cost of the tickets was $10 for guests and free for ETSU students, they sure didn’t bring a lot of revenue in that night. Students pay $20 in activities fees for both the fall and spring semester.

I know entertainers are working to make money … they have a lot of expenses. But I think ETSU should have taken all of that into consideration when they chose Carrie, instead of a performer who might not have demanded such a large fee for a one night show. An article in the Bristol newspaper said the cost of that show came out to $41,077 per song, or $7,120 per minute for the time she played. Surely she could have dropped that to $5,000 a minute for a college performance. ETSU is the only college she played this year — maybe now we know why. No one else was willing to put out that much money for one show.

I certainly can’t speak for the administration of East Tennessee State University, but I have a feeling they won’t be so quick to drop half a million dollars on another concert any time soon.

How do you feel about it? Is there any performer out there today who should expect $7,000 per minute to put on a show? I know it was a good show — but that wasn’t my question. Take care guys, talk to you all soon!Countrycountry5@hotmail.com

Dolly Parton is on the cover of the current issue of Country Weekly magazine. In an interview by David Scarlett, titled “I Act on Faith,” Dolly talks openly about the rough times in her life, the “nips and tucks,” her Dad, and her relationship with God. It’s a good interview. Nicely done, David.

And, as always, Country Weekly is packed with information about upcoming concerts, events, awards, CDs, and things we country music fans just have to know about! I love the magazine, I subscribe – and I read it cover to cover.

However, I’m not going to say I always agree with everything they do. Do you guys remember when Garth Brooks was going to retire, and the magazine did something about “who can replace him?” Then at one point, they asked “Who would be the next Tim McGraw?” NOW, they have this 3 page article called “Kings in Waiting” – asking who could be the next George Strait. Some 25,000 fans voted. And, I am glad to see people like Josh Turner,Bucky Covington, and Joe Nickles were among those the voters selected.

Here’s where I have a question … Why does anyone have to “fill his shoes”? George Strait is George Strait;Bucky Covington is Bucky Covington; and Josh Turner is Josh Turner. Aren’t we just willing to love these guys for who they are? They’re all extremely talented, with promising careers of their own. So, George had his 52 No. 1 records — let’s let Bucky, Josh Turner, and the others mentioned in the article, do their thing! Be themselves! Put out one hit after the next, come to our town so we can see them in concert, and not have to be compared to anyone else. That’s my vote! Let me know what you guys think.

Tracy Lawrence, one of the country stars tentatively scheduled for the Appalachian Fair in Gray, TN, this year, will be part of the BamaJam. This is a three day event, with three stages. Entertainers scheduled to take part at the June 5-7 musical event are Trace Adkins, Hank Williams Jr., Ricky Skaggs, Jason Michael Carroll, Old Crow Medicine Show, Randy Owen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, and many more! What a diverse group of entertainers. The event is held just north of Enterprise, Ala. Sounds like a very fun place to be.

And last, Eddy Arnold, who would have celebrated his 90th birthday on Thursday, May 15, died today, May 8, 2008, in a Nashville health care facility. Eddy’s wife of 66 years, Sally, died just two months ago.

Arnold was a native of Henderson, Tenn., and was inducted into the Coutnry Music Hall of Fame in 1966. He was definitely a part of country music history.

That’s it for tonight. I’ll talk to you all soon. Keep writing! Your comments and e-mails are important to me. And, I’ll get you answered as quickly as I can. Remember, too, that if you have news – I’m all ears. Till tomorrow —

Yesterday at Dollywood, I got to spend a little time with Diana Degarmo. She’s an amazing young lady, and it was truly a pleasure meeting her. I have a feeling Diana might remember me, because every time someone near me wanted a photo of her – they handed me their camera and said “go take one.” I think Diana must have gotten tired of me coming toward her with a camera, but she was kind enough not to say any thing. And, like I said, by the end of the day – we were buddies! Thanks, Diana.

I got so much information yesterday, I hardly know where to begin. But I think most of you are interested in hearing a little about the CD she is working on. She has signed with John Rich’s production company, and her new CD will be Country/Pop. The song she wrote with Keith Stegall and Shanna Cook, “Right Back Where We Ended,” will be on the CD. That was the song she did on “Gone Country.” She didn’t say when they planned to release the CD, but did say John Rich and Gretchen Wilson were writing some of the songs.

When Diana was 10 years old, she worked at Music Mansion in Pigeon Forge, that was a theater that James Rogers had, in partnership with Dolly’s corporation. Diana worked there during the summer, and for the Christmas shows. It was a 2000 seat theater which opened in 1994, and closed in 1998.

I met James Rogers on two separate occasions, and totally agree with Diana, who said he was a very special person. James is a talented songwriter and singer. (He will be performing in Marion, Va. April 20, and at Dollywood on May 7).

Back to Diana, She mentioned her stage debut in 2005 in “Annie” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”; and that she recently finsihed five months on Broadway playing the role of Penny Pingleton in “Hairspray.” And in April 2007, she made her first appearance on the stage of Carnege Hall.

This picture of Diana is with Porter Wagoner’s sister (Denise, in pink), and another of the Dollywood guests on Saturday.

Diana has moved to Nashville, and I think that city is ready for her. She likes Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, LIttle Big Town and Sugarland, and is also a fan of Josh Turner. And I think very soon, they will all be big fans of her’s, too.

And here’s one last shot of Dolly from the Porter Wagoner Tribute Concert April 12, 2008, at Dolly’s Celebrity Theater in Dollywood. The day was beautiful, the concert was great, the planting of the rose meaningful — and on top of all that, I got to meet Maureen McCormick and Diana Degarmo. And, hopefully, thanks to Diana’s fan forums, I got a few new blog readers – and a few new friends. Very nice meeting you all. Hope you’ll keep reading and stay in touch. And if you have anything you’d like to share with me and my readers – please drop me a line. Talk to you guys later!Countrycountry5@hotmail.com

Keith Anderson, who hit the country charts back in 2005, with his debut single “Pickin’ Wildflowers,” said on his web page that his first career choice was major league baseball. He was pretty good at it too, and had already caught the attention of the Kansas City Royals, when a shoulder injury pushed him in another direction.

In addition to writing “Pickin’ Wildflowers,” and many of his other songs; Keith also co-wrote “Lost in This Moment,” recorded by Big & Rich.

If you’re hoping to catch Keith in concert somewhere soon, he will be at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on April 8; Williamson County Pavilion in Marion, Ill., on April 10; Gallagher IBA arena in Stillwater, Okla., April 12; then over the Duluth, Ga., at Wild Bill’s, on April 18. After the Georgia show, Keith has a few Texas dates to take him through April.